Mocky

This is actually a 2 part question..

One.. does anyone actually use the video recording feature on some of the newer cameras? How is it? Use it quite often? Did you consider it as a selling feature?


Two. Memory card speed.. This is a bit off topic...but I know that as a CF card user, I did a lot of research when picking out memory cards... (and cried when I saw the pricetag)....and then cried again when the price dropped in half a few months later....


Anyway, I recently picked up a GoPro Hero HD... it shoots in 1080p so they recommend a 32gig card to record 4 hours of footage. I was looking at Sandisk Class 4 32g cards for $65... Do I need a class 4 card? Will something lower (and cheaper be sufficient?). How important is speed when it comes to video? I know with a digital camera, I have had times when I'm shooting multiple shots at once and using my old CF card, there was a lag once in a while when data was being transferred to the card.

Any help would be great.
Thanks!

dwight

Part 1:
a. I use the video recording feature on my camera.
b. It works very well.
c. I use it rarely.
d. Not really.

Part 2:
a. I have no experience with the GoPro Hero HD, but my camera uses about 6 MB/s when recoding and Class 2 exceeds this data rate so I believe that you don't need a Class 4 card and could get by with a Class 2 one.
b. Probably, but don't forget that you need to get the data off of the memory card as well and it would be slow.
c. I imagine that if the memory card can't keep up, the camera buffer will fill up and the video will stop prematurely.

MrSunshine

1a. I've only been on Shooting Mode twice.
1b. Picture quality exceeded my expectations on 1080p.
1c. I rarely use it.
1d. I was actually sold on the 60D's gimmicks. For one, it had a flip out LCD which was very camcorder-like. Second, people claim it to be the best DSLR shooter out there in the market. I later found out that the same settings that made this camera "better" were easily obtainable through Magic Lantern, a customer firmware that targets the shooting mode. I thought the 60D could be both a DSLR and a camcorder but I was wrong. The MAJOR letdown was how it didn't autofocus while in shooting mode. Kind of a bummer. I also feel that some serious money is needed to shoot good movies (i.e. Glidecam).

2. I initially started out with a Class 4 SanDisk and found out that 1080p was impossible. I upgraded to the Class 10. I've never used a GoPro but I would play it safe and stay Class 6+.

Also, take everything I said with a grain of salt. I'm still a n00b.

Mocky

Thanks.... I thought as the class goes up the speed goes faster... Class 4 wasn't fast enough? So you would suggest going class 6+ right?

(but I don't understand why upgrading to a class 1 would be faster than a class 4.) maybe i'm missing something?



thanks for all the input!!!

dwight

There is no Class 1. I believe that it is a typo of Class 10.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_Digita...ed_Class_Rating

dwight

I made a mistake last night. I was thinking MB/s instead of Mb/s for Class 2. Class 4 is insufficient. Class 6 is probably insufficient as well. Get a "Class 10", "66x", "80Mb/s", "10MB/s" or faster.

Mocky

Ah.. gotcha..
so when you say insufficient, can you let me know more about what happens if you go with a class 4?
wondering because the go pro accessory site list a class 4 card but i
don't want to run into any issues.
http://gopro.com/camera-accessories/...d-memory-card/

Thanks for all the help

dwight

Unless it's video is significantly more compressed, I'd imagine that it wouldn't work. It might work for a little bit until the buffer fills up.

Why 32 GB? I think most photographers would shy away from such a large card. It's too many eggs in one basket. You can get a 16 GB Class 10 card for under $30.

Mocky

32GB is because it's 4 hours of video footage on the GoPro in 1080p.

For my D200 , you are right..I keep CF cards in my bag and they are usually 8GB cards..I usually keep 2 or 3 with me and that way I am able to rotate them (and yes, I agree with the too many eggs in one basket theory)

dwight

If it can fit 4 hours on a 32 GB card, then it's a lot more compressed than my video. That's about 2.3 MB/s so, it should be fine with Class 4.

http://www.google.com/search?q=32+GB+%2F+4+hours